Montgomery County voters ‘energized’ and boosting turnout at polls

Voters walk past political supporter and rows of campaign signs on their way to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting at the Lee G. Alworth Building, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Conroe.

Voters walk past political supporter and rows of campaign signs on their way to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting at the Lee G. Alworth Building, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Conroe.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

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Voters walk past political supporter and rows of campaign signs on their way to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting at the Lee G. Alworth Building, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Conroe.

Voters walk past political supporter and rows of campaign signs on their way to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting at the Lee G. Alworth Building, Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Conroe.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Montgomery County voters ‘energized’ and boosting turnout at polls

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In just four days of early voting in Montgomery County, voter turnout was a dramatic 275.6 percent higher than the last midterm election in 2014.

Those numbers are putting Montgomery County on track to see one of its highest voting years with local party chairs Republican Dr. Wally Wilkerson and Democrat Marc Meyers agreeing residents are “energized.”

From Monday through Thursday, 45,306 voters cast votes in the Nov. 6 general election, averaging more than 5,000 voters a day at the county’s five early voting locations combined.

The two voting locations in The Woodlands had the highest turnout with 18,589 ballots cast, of which 12,708 of those were at the South County Community Building. Across the county, Willis has seen 4,638 voters, Magnolia 5,526 voters, East County 4,645 voters, Montgomery 5,949 and Conroe with 5,835.

Additionally, the county has logged 10,268 ballots by mail.

“There is plenty of interest and a number of issues,” Wilkerson said of voter motivation. “The Democrats have candidates for the first time in 25 years so that is a big deal for them.”

Wilkerson, who established the Republican party in the county more than 50 years ago, said he was happy to see the competitiveness of the party and the public’s interest to get to the polls.

“I think the best thing for our country is to have two competitive political parties and they nominate their candidates and we nominate ours and then the people have a choice,” Wilkerson said. “It’s better than where you have the same people all the time on the ballot.”

Meyers echoed Wilkerson in that this is the first time in years the Democrat ballot has a full slate of candidates.

“We haven’t had this many Democrat (candidates) since the Democrats ran the county back before 1990,” Meyers said. “There hasn’t been a critical mass of Democratic candidates to run as a slate.”

While the Republican party has the advantage in Montgomery County based on numbers, Meyers said, the fracture in the party with different groups is creating some openings for the Democratic party.

“It’s put some things up in the air,” he said. “There are some establishment Republican groups that are not as happy with what is going on with the Republican Party which may benefit some of our candidates.”

Early voting continues 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Election day is Nov. 6.